Suction cleaner



Dec. 8, 1936. C H, SPARKUN 7 2,063,061

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Oct. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'jzve7zzar Dec. 8, 1936.

C. H. SPARKLIN SUCTION CLEANER Filed 001;. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER,

Charles H. Sparklin, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Birtman Electric Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 7, 1935, Serial No. 43,953

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more especially to that type of cleaner provided with a nozzle that is vertically adjustable with respect to the surface of the material being cleaned.

It is well known that suction cleaners of the type here under consideration are most generally used for cleaning rugs, carpets and the like although, of course, they are also used for cleaning bare hardwood floors, linoleum and other surfaces. In connection with the cleaning of carpets, however, materials of varying thickness and softness are encountered; and consequently it has been found advisable to provide the cleaner with a vertically adjustable nozzle so that when operating on a carpet that is relatively thick and soft where the wheels sink in to a relatively great extent, the nozzle can be vertically adjusted upwardly so that in the cleaning of such carpet the mouth of the nozzle will not be too close to the fabric or bear too much thereon. v Contrariwise, when operating. upon a thin hard carpet or on a bare floor, or linoleum, or the like, where the wheels do not sink in to any perceptible extent, it has been found advisable to adjust the nozzle vertically downwardly so that it will be in proper position with respect to the surface being cleaned. Likewise, in operating upon carpets of this thickness it has been found that vertical adjustment of the nozzle is necessary or desirable.

The principal feature of my invention is the provision of indicating means enabling the operator readily and quickly to determine the proper adjustment of the nozzle.

In general, it may be stated that this is accomplished by providing a pilot in the nature. of a relatively light member that will float on the surface of the material being cleaned. One or more of the wheels of the cleaner, however, will sink into the material to a certain extent below its surface, depending upon the nature of the material itself. This sink of the wheels is shown by an indicator on the cleaner and the operator can easily adjust the nozzle accordingly. For convenience, there may be another indicator to show the height of the nozzle, and the two indicators may be so calibrated that all that is necessary is for the operator to bring the two arrows into registry to obtain the proper height of the nozzle on any material being cleaned.

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In those forms of devices embodying the Seatures of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 4 is a segmentary view on an enlarged scale, partly in front elevation and partly in section; and Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the pilot member and the adjacent wheel.

Cleaners with vertically adjustable nozzles of various types have heretofore been made in which means are provided for vertically adjusting the nozzle with respect to the carriage depending upon the thickness, character and type of surface being cleaned. Various means have been provided also for manually efiecting such adjustment. It is to be understood that my invention may be used in virtually any form of such cleaner. That is, the particular means provided for adjusting the nozzle may have a variety of forms. The principal feature of my invention is the provision of means for visually indicating to the operator the extent to which the nozzle shall be adjusted.

As shown in the, drawings, the cleaner may be of a conventional type supported by two front wheels I0, I0 and two rear wheels H, H. The nozzle is indicated by l2. As here shown vertical adjustment of the nozzle is effected by raising or lowering the rear wheels II, II. This pivots the entire cleaner on the axis l3 of the front wheels to raise or lower the mouth I! of the nozzle l2. As here shown adjustment of the rear wheels II is effected by means of the screw l4 operating in the lug IE on the cleaner. The lower end of the screw H has a ball and socket joint I6 with sufllcient play so that rotation of the screw by means of the handle I! will adjust the back wheels ll upwardly or downwardly as desired; thus givingother end of the ball chain I8 is wrapped around 7 a spring pressed shaft 2| carrying the indicating arrow 22 operating in connection with a scale 23 so that the arrow 22, by reference to suitable markings or calibrations on the scale 23, will always show the vertical adjustment of the nozzle I2.

I shall now describe the pilot member utilized for indicating the degree of sink of one of the wheels. It is preferable, of course, to measure or indicate the sink of one. of the front wheels since they ordinarily carry more weight than the rear Wheels. It is also desirable to place the pilot in close proximity to one of these front wheels as this will give a truer indication of the actual sink of the wheel into the material below its surface. One of the wheels and the pilot member or float is shown in perspective in Fig. 5. [0 indicates the wheel, the pilot member being in the shape of a cylindrical shell of light, thin sheet metal indicated by 25: This shell is pivoted at 26 in the fork 21 carried by: the cleaner and has a portion cut away as indicated at 28 to accommodate the support 29 for the wheel Ill. The pilot is large enough so that it is free to move up and down relative to the wheel. 30 indicates a light spring preferably employed to hold the pilot 25 down on the surface of the material being cleaned. This spring is very light, however, and the pilot itself is very light in weight so that it will float substantially on the surface of the material being cleaned. That is, it will sinkinto the material only to a very small extent, if at all; and not nearly as much into soft material as the wheel It will sink. It is to be noted also that the lower surface of the pilot 25 as indicatedby 25* being cylindrically curved will slide easily over the surface of the material being cleaned with little or'no tendency to sink down into such surface.

It will be seen also that the lower edge of the pilot that bears on the surface being cleaned has considerable width, thus giving at least a line contact of considerable length and in all probability a surface contact of considerable area, thus preventing the pilot from sinking into the surface of even soft thick carpets to any percep-' tible extent. As here shown, the spring 30 is connected to an ear 3| on the pilot at one end, the other end of the spring being connected to a suitable lug 32 carried by the cleaner.

The pilot 25 is provided with an ear 33 to which is pivotally connected the bar 34, the rear end'of which is pivotally connected to a member 35 rotatably mounted on the shaft 2! which carries the indicating member 22. The member 35 carries another indicating member 3t which shows the vertical movement of the pilot 25 with respect to the wheel Ill. The operation of the pilot is shown in Fig. 4 where a rather thick soft carpet is indicated by 31. That is, the carpet has a rather thick pile. It will be seen that the wheel In is sinking into the carpet below its surface to a considerable extent while the pilot25 is riding or floating substantially on the surface. By surface, is meant the very top of the fabric. Thus the pilot 25 is resting substantially on the upper ends of the threads forming the pile without bending them over or crushing them down to any considerable extent. As stated, however, the wheel ll sinks down into the carpet below'its topmost slsurface to a considerable extent and the extent of this sink of the wheel Ill is indicated by the position of the indicator 36 with respect to the scale 23. Since there is a substantially correct settin for the nozzle for each degree of sink of the wheel III the operator, by looking at the position 01' t e indicator 38, can tell how to adjust the nozzle. Since the adjustment of the nozzle is indicated by the pointer 22, he can readily determine when he gets the correct adjustment. If desired, the indicators 36 and 22 may be so positioned and proportioned and the scale 23 so calibrated that the correct position of the nozzle will be obtained in each case when the pointer 22 is brought into registry with the pointer 36. This will'save.the operator the trouble of doing any calculating or integrating in adjusting the nozzle and will provide a very effective, efiicient and quick means for indicating to the operator the proper vertical ad- ,iustment oi the nozzle for each'kind of material being cleaned. For the purpose of clarity in the drawings, the indicators 22 and 36 are not in registry.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the'spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

WhatI. claim 'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isz' 1. In a suction cleaner having supportingwheels, a pilot adapted to float substantially on the surface of the material being cleaned, and means operated by said pilot for indicating the degree of sink of one of said wheels into said material below its surface.

2. In a suction cleaner having supporting wheels, a pilot adjacent one of said wheels adapt- I ed to float substantially on the surface of the material being cleaned, and means operated by said pilot for indicating thedegree of sink of said wheel into said material below its surface.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the pilot is provided with a curved lower surface.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the pilot is provided with a curved lower surface.

5. Apparatus as claimed in'claim 1, in which the pilot is substantially cylindrical.

6. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 2, in which the pilot is substantially cylindrical and partially surrounds said wheel. I

7. In a suction cleaner having supporting wheels, a pilot adapted to float substantially on the surface of the materialbeing cleaned, a movable visual indicator, and a connection between said indicator and said pilot.

8. In a suction cleaner having supporting wheels, a pilot adJacent one of said wheels adapted to float substantially on the surface of the material being cleaned, a movable visual indicator, and a connection between said indicator and said pilot.

CHARLES H. SPARKLIN. 

